Lilith and The Midget
by AlleyO
Summary: I'm both confounded and amused by the frenetic behaviors of the Borderlands midgets. These diminutive little freaks are actually mutated from normal sized convict workers. They have a damn good reason for being so psychotic. What's under the hood of these little guys? Join Lilith shortly after the annihilation of Sledge as she finds out the answer. Published weekly.
1. Chapter 1 One Life

Lilith almost shot it just to shut it up. It was making an awful lot of noise and a pack of skags were already closing in from the west. But something stayed her finger off the trigger, so instead she jogged in closer to get a better look.

The Midget was making a huge racket, squealing curses and jibberish as it tried frantically to free itself. It dangled upside down, about four feet above the ground, its right foot tightly ensnared in wiring that hung down from some machinery bolted to the dock above.

Lilith slowed and ducked down unnoticed between a scrabble of rocks. The frantic little bandit tugged at the wires; it was in total screaming panic as certain death galloped in at top speed.

An adult skag charged well ahead of the pack and flashed by Lilith's rocky hideout. She stood up and pegged it in the shoulder with multiple rounds from her combat rifle.

The skag jerked to the side and slewed around towards her.

_Why the hell did I just do that!_ Lilith berated herself and swung the rifle around.

The beast huffed, enraged and bleeding, and shook in agitation. It opened its grotesquely hinged jaws and roared.

"Thanks sweetheart!" Lilith smirked and opened fire. Spatters of blood flew out of its maw as her bullets tore through unarmored flesh. The skag's roar disintegrated into a choked gargle and it snapped its wounded mouth shut. It shook its head in pain and confusion as blood streamed past its jagged barbed teeth.

Lilith took the opportunity to swap out her rifle with an SMG. It had a fairly decent corrosive upgrade and she knew it would make short work of the rest of the pack, which consisted of two more adults, some whelps and a scattering of pups.

She leapt on top of the rock in front of her and socked the machine gun home into the crook of her elbow. It seemed to fit there perfectly.

Surprisingly, the wounded adult gathered itself and launched up towards her. She got off a burst of gunfire right into its face. Corrosive elements glowed green and bit into its armor. The skag's full adult body weight hit her like a ton of bricks and they both fell off the rock. As they hit the ground, Lilith released another burst of bullets into its underbelly.

The skag let out an agonized roar and writhed in its death throes right on top of her. Lilith yelled and heaved its bloodied mass to the side. She wrenched to her feet and brought the SMG up to bear on the rest of the skags running towards her. In the corner of her vision she saw that the Midget now hung frozen in its escape efforts, watching the battle unfold.

She sprayed a tremendous round of bullets in a wide arc that tagged most of the skags. The pups and whelps were deflected momentarily, but the two adults kept on coming. Lilith rapidly backpedaled and fumbled out Sledge's Shotgun. She blasted one of them with it and the skag was thrown back a good twenty feet. The second one launched itself at her and she threw herself to the ground. Lilith felt its claws scrape her leather clad torso as it skimmed over. She rolled to the side and let loose the second shell. It howled in agony as one of its rear legs was nearly obliterated by the powerful multishot.

Lilith stayed right there on the ground and rapidly reloaded. The first adult skag shook off the knockback and burst towards her. She quickly dispatched the closest one with the blown leg by shooting its exposed belly, then she waited, electrified and panting, as the other one barreled towards her. When it was almost upon her she pulled the trigger and Sledge's Shotgun belched again. The skag's furious charge turned into a boneless tumble; it was dead before it even stopped rolling.

She threw the shotgun down and tugged out the SMG again as she regained her feet. The pups and whelps scattered in panic as she delivered round after round into their tender hides. She advanced deliberately into the clearing before the dock, turning this way and that, squeezing off short, controlled bursts with the sub.

Within a few minutes, they all lay dead or dying. She calmly reloaded and surveyed the carnage all around her. She counted the bodies.

_Thirteen, fourteen, and that first adult back behind the rock make fifteen…_

Lilith turned to the Midget still hanging frozen and silent in its snare. Their eyes met.

"That's fifteen skags. Fifteen stinking, filthy, blood thirsty scavengers… Tell me Midget, are you even worth the life of one of them?"


	2. Chapter 2 Person Of Interest

The Midget cursed and resumed its efforts to free its foot. Lilith rolled her eyes and walked over.

"You're making it worse" she scoffed, and let her gaze follow the trail of wires to the dock above. There was a snarl of wiring and what looked like a good sized hole blasted in the wood.

An ear rending screech yanked her attention back to the Midget. It was throwing a sputtering hissy fit and looked like it was about to spontaneously combust into flames. Lilith took a step back just to be safe.

"Will you just shut up! You're going to bring another pack of skags and this time I won't save your ass!" She kicked at the sandy ground and sent a scatter of dirt at the Midget.

The Midget let go of the wires and fell back. He made two tight fists and howled in pure frustration. Then he went limp and hung there, eyes closed. After a moment or two of measured breathing, he opened his eyes and locked on to hers. "Alright. You got me. What do you want from me?"

Lilith quirked her eyebrows and said nothing. The Midget continued "There's a reason you didn't kill me! You Mercs are all the same! I may be a freaking mutant, but I'm not stupid!"

Lilith was a bit nonplussed. Why the hell _did_ she save the Midget? She scanned the Badlands around them as she considered the question. She had no good answer. Unbidden, an old saying came into mind, _save a life and that life is yours forever ._ She shook her head in denial. No way.

"Now's not the time, I'll tell you later," she hedged. "I'm going to get the wires. No stupid shit, right?" The Midget nodded wordlessly. Temporarily satisfied, Lilith climbed up to the dock and produced a small hatchet. The machine block was blasted on one side with rods and wires gutted out of a corner.

"Hurry up!" The Midget hissed. "Something's coming!"

Lilith picked out a telltale smudge of dust rising beyond the rough hills to the northeast. She dropped into a quick crouch and chopped furiously at the snarl of wires against the metal casing. The wires gave way and the ends snapped out of sight down the hole in dock. She heard the Midget thud to the ground.

After shoving the hatchet back in her pack, she grabbed the edge of the dock and dropped down next to the little bandit as it tugged the last of the wires away from its ankle. She drew a repeater pistol on him and the Midget paused.

"Try anything, I mean _anything_ and I'll cut you down. No hesitation."

He scowled and tossed the wires to the side furiously. He gained his feet and threw her an angry glance. "I hear you. Like I said, I'm not stupid! Now let's get the hell out of here!" He ran past her and cut across the clearing.

"Wait!" Lilith gestured with the gun. "This way." She jogged over to the bodies of the adult skags she brought down near the rocks. The Midget followed her, shooting wary glances at the still forms of the huge beasts.

She spied Sledge's Shotgun and grabbed it off the ground. The Midget recognized it and his eyes widened. She noticed his reaction as she jammed it into her pack. She glanced towards the approaching dust cloud. The harsh rumble of a vehicle could be heard and it was closing in fast. Without another word or gesture, Lilith and the Midget raced to the relative safety of a boulder strewn ridge to the west.

As she wound her way between the rocks, Lilith hoped no skags belonging to the pack remained there. Any gunfire would certainly give away their presence. She observed that the Midget had followed her path into the rubble and was now crouched trying to catch his breath.

Lilith circled around a nearby boulder until she had a good vantage point on the clearing. The vehicle pulled into view and drove right to the dock. It stopped and three bandits got out. One of them was a brute. He held his weapon at ready, sweeping the surrounding hills, on high alert. The other two quickly circled in and in no time at all were examining the evidence below the dock. One of them clambered topside and surveyed the damage.

The Midget growled, "No charge ups for those freaking assholes." He had sidled around to watch too.

Lilith stared at him with interest. He glanced at her and chafed under her quizzical stare.

"Tell me Midget, what exactly were you up to back there?"


	3. Chapter 3 The Saboteur

The Midget snorted and shook his head. "Nothing that concerns you Merc." He looked away and stared into the clearing.

"Oh really." She said flatly, "I saved your ass for a reason and that…" she pointed towards the dock with the barrel of her gun, "seems to be it. So tell me Midget, why the sabotage?"

Her question set off a small storm of reactions in the Midget; he banged his forehead against the boulder and uttered low snarls to punctuate. _Thud.., snarl. Thud.., snarl. Thud.., snarl._ Lilith's eyes widened, but she held her ground. It was weirdly fascinating to see the midget flip from calm to crazed in the space of a minute.

The Midget rapped his skull one last time and cleared his throat. "It's complicated." He refused to look at her.

Lilith studied his profile and wondered what the Midget really looked like underneath his mask. _If the stories are all true.., then he's hideous._ She shuddered inwardly. She had seen a lot of ugly in her time but she was reluctant to discover this particular flavor any time soon. Her gaze returned to the bandits at the dock. Now both of them were topside and one of them was banging away in the box. But the brute at ground level was staring straight at their location, and that made her uneasy.

"Try me." She prodded and he sighed in resignation. Lilith sensed that he had come to some sort of internal decision. He eased down into a sitting position and looked up at the featureless gray sky as he spoke.

"That charging station belongs to the Hedgers. They must be stopped." The Midget made a cutoff motion with his hands and dropped his gaze. Lilith marveled over his demeanor. He seemed so still and so focused, something that hinted to a purpose far greater than what he revealed.

She sank down into a crouch and looked at him intently. "Who are the Hedgers?"

The Midget swung his gaze slowly around to level with hers. "They're asshole Sledge wannabees, that's who. Damn scum suckers stepped right in after you guys took out Sledge." He glanced at her pack and Lilith knew he was thinking of the shotgun stowed in there. The image of a midget rocketing backwards through the air clutching a smoking shotgun bloomed in her mind.

She put a protective hand over the bag and warned, "Forget about the gun. It's mine and I earned it. Besides, you midgets and shotguns are notoriously mismatched."

He snorted and threw his head back. Lilith expected another fit of rage, but he surprised her by laughing instead. She had heard the psychotic laughter of mutant midgets many times before, but this was markedly different. It was lower pitched and rolled out smoothly in rhythmic chuckles. It suddenly dawned on her that she was hearing a genuine midget belly laugh. Lilith ogled at him, then broke down and snickered.

After their mirth subsided, he expanded his explanation. "The Hedgers want to continue the old order, to keep up the brutal and sadistic ways of our former master Sledge. But some of us are tired of the senseless killing and want to break away."

"So why sabotage their equipment? Why not just leave?" Lilith peeked back at the clearing for a quick check. She was alarmed to see all three bandits hurrying towards the vehicle.

"We did leave, but it's not enough. The Hedgers are planning to…" the Midget trailed off as he noticed her posture. He scrambled to his hands and knees to peer out. "Ah shit."

The vehicle rumbled to life and promptly headed towards their rocky hideout. Lilith and the Midget exchanged a glance. "Follow me!" She began to wind her way further in among the massive boulders. The Midget followed closely behind her and they worked their way up to the top of the ridge while keeping out of sight from the clearing below.

The peak itself was bare and would provide no cover. Lilith hung back in hiding and scanned the length of it, looking for a dip, a shadow, _anything _that would allow them to slip over undetected. There was nothing.

The bandits pulled up seemingly right next to the spot where Lilith and Midget first began their rocky ascent. She cursed and looked down at herself. What the hell caught that brute's attention to give them away? She eyed the Midget, crouched several feet away. He appeared just as unremarkable as she. He watched her, awaiting her next move. Lilith shook her head in confusion and dismissed the question.

"Come out come out, wherever you are!" Both Lilith and the Midget startled at the sound of the loud abrasive command. Heavy laughter bounced around the dry crag. "I got a present for you… a nice fat going away present! Oh you're gonna love it so much you'll never leave, hah hah hah!"

They could hear the bandits scrabbling through the rocks and getting closer. Lilith knew by instinct that the sharp-eyed brute remained down in the clearing, gun ready to pick their sorry asses off as soon as they came into view.

The Midget nervously scanned the bare backbone of the ridge and seemed itchy to make a run for it. Lilith got his attention. "I'm going to distract them with this!" She reached down and grabbed a hefty sized rock. He nodded and braced himself to run.

Lilith cocked her arm back to throw and was stopped cold by a guttural low growl. Coming over the ridge was a huge adult skag. From the looks of the milk-swollen teats hanging down from its chest, it was Momma Skag on the hunt for her pups.

"We are so screwed!" Midget looked over at Lilith and hissed, "What now Merc?"


	4. Chapter 4 Plans Awry

Lilith nearly dropped the rock as her plan of distracting the bandits skidded to a halt. "Damn," she whispered, then held up a hand to Midget, "wait, she doesn't see us yet."

Momma Skag stopped at the apex of the ridge and snuffled the ground. Lilith half hoped the Brute down in the clearing would pick it off, but knew he was more likely waiting for the scag to flush them out. Her best bet was to lob the rock at the bandits and divert the skag towards them. Hopefully Momma Skag would be cooperative.

Lilith heard a scrape of boots on rocks and wheeled around in time to see one of the bandits rounding a boulder. She heard Midget squeal, "Look out!" Out of the corner of her eye she saw the skag swing its head in their direction. _So much for plan B_, she fumed.

The bandit jerked his gun towards her. Without time to draw a weapon, Lilith winged the rock in her hand instead. It nailed his hand and he cried out as the gun went flying. He clenched his fist to his chest in pain and stumbled backwards into the boulder. Up the hill, the skag growled and charged down into the fray.

"Oh shit!" Midget yelped and frantically scrambled to get out of its path.

Lilith squeezed into a narrow gap between two boulders and threw a desperate glance back over her shoulder. Momma Scag freight trained right past Midget and slammed into the rocks protecting Lilith. It recovered a split second later and lunged towards the bandit as he reached to retrieve his gun. The skag got to him first and he screamed shrilly as its barbed teeth bit into the meat of his calf.

Lilith gave up trying to yank a weapon out of her pack in her confined space. She heaved herself free and made a run for the ridge. Midget saw her intent and joined her. Behind them the bandit screamed in agony and jammed his thumb deep into the beast's eye. The skag bellowed in pain and released him. He heaved himself towards his gun.

Lilith and Midget gained the top of the ridge and began a sliding descent down in the loose gravel on the other side. Midget took one last look back and beheld a bloody scene of man and beast, both gore stricken and desperate. Momma Skag shook her head, struggling to see against the blood with its remaining eye while the Bandit feverishly scrambled over ground to grab the weapon. Suddenly the second bandit burst into the scene with gun ablaze.

Midget let go of the tableau and barreled down the hill. Further down, Lilith was closing in on the cover of boulder strewn safety. He pumped his legs harder to catch up.

The Brute stepped out from hiding among the rocks and pointed a gun at Lilith. She pulled up and zigged to the left. He easily tracked her and fired. Thin white lightning crackled and enveloped Lilith. Shock coursed through her body and zapped her nervous system. Her running dodge degraded into a stiffened lurch and she hit the ground hard.

Lilith tried to see past the swarm of black motes crowding her vision and futilely willed her body to move. She dimly heard Midget cursing. The Brute swaggered up to her, pointed his zapper and fired again.

Static burst inside of Lilith's head and she descended into deep and numbing darkness.


	5. Chapter 5 In Deep

Midget came to first and lifted his head to look around. He was lying on his back with his wrists and ankles bound. Lilith was still out cold, and they were in the back of the bandits' outrider. It hit a particularly nasty dip and Midget's head smacked the ribbed metal of the cargo floor. He winced and rolled onto his side.

"Hey you midget bastard, now that you're awake, you can start telling me all about the cozy little settlement you started with all your traitorous friends."

Midget scowled at the bandit leaning over the back seat and said, "You should be more concerned about your brother, he don't look too good."

The bandit snarled, "You shut the hell up about my brother, he'll be just fine." Still, he turned back to check the bloodied figure slumped next to him. "Yo Sammy, hang in there bro." He lifted a red-sodden bandage for a peek. "Oh geez, look at all this shit. Drive freakin faster Max!"

Max cocked his head and grunted. He jerked the wheel to avoid some debris on the road and floored it. His arms were stained brown with Sammy's dried blood.

Midget cautiously tested his bindings but found no leeway. He glanced at Lilith and realized she was awake.

Lilith was working intently to free her wrists. She caught Midget's stare and shook her head slightly. He looked away and shifted to partially shield her from their view. She closed her eyes; blood was beginning to coat her hands. Sharp pain bit with each twist and she paused to take a rest. Wet warmth touched her ear and she lifted her head to look down in confusion. A runnel of blood was making its way along the cargo bed. It was dripping from the bottom of Sammy's seat.

"Well, well. Look who decided to join us." The bandit was once again leaning over the back of the seat. "It's the bitch hero who killed Sledge. Where's your freakin hot shot friends now, eh? No one to help you cept this miserable sabotaging piece of shit and he's gonna be useless after we're done with him."

Lilith heard a low growl from Midget, but the Bandit ignored him. His goggles glared milky white toward Lilith, his expression hidden beneath the mask. "And after we're done with you, merc, the only pretty thing left will be your face stuck on Sledge's old gun for a trophy in our war room." He slapped the side of the vehicle for emphasis and laughed.

"I did you assholes a favor by killing Sledge, but you're too stupid to realize that," Lilith sneered.

He snorted in derision and turned forward. "You hear that Max? She thinks she's our freakin savior!"

Max glanced back from the road and rumbled "I told you she was worth keeping alive.., high entertainment value." They both laughed.

Sammy suddenly jerked his arm out and grabbed his brother. "Otter! Otter! You gotta get me outta here. Unlock the damn door, you know I hate the dark."

Otter put a steadying hand on his shoulder, "don't worry Sammy, I'm gonna get you help. Just hang on…"

Then Sammy started seizuring and all hell broke loose. Otter jumped up and grabbed his brother to stop him from convulsing right out of the vehicle. "Oh shit! Stop the rider! Stop the rider!" Max jammed on the brakes and both Midget and Lilith were sent flying into the back of the seat.

Lilith shook off the stars in her vision and rolled away to get clear. Midget was bleeding from the head and lay there dazed. Max vaulted out of the drivers seat and helped haul Sammy out of his seat.

Lilith could hear them scuffling on the sandy ground and risked a look to see. "Hold him down! Grab his legs!" Max barked at Otter. Sammy thrashed and grunted, driving fresh gouts of blood to soak his already sodden clothes. Lilith dropped back down and desperately worked to loosen her bindings. Midget groaned and struggled up into a sitting position. He turned his head painfully to watch the three bandits.

Sammy suddenly relaxed and went still. Otter stared at his brother for a long moment, releasing his tight grip from his legs. Sammy let out a jagged last breath and died.

"No." Otter grabbed Sammy by the shirt and shook him. "Breathe damn you!"

Max stood up and walked a few steps away, looking off into the distance. Behind him Otter blindly pounded on his dead brother's chest.

Midget looked down and shook his head "We're in deep shit now." Lilith sent him a questioning look.

The dry silence of the surrounding gully was split by Otter's grieving howl of rage.


	6. Chapter 6 Cold Rage

If there ever was a time that Lilith wanted most to phasewalk, it was right then as she listened to Otter's utter rage and grief over the death of his brother. But her hands and feet were tied tight. Flipping to phase would result in nothing but energy drain and a fierce headache instead of freedom she so craved.

Still the urge to phase gnawed at her. Her wrists were bloodied raw and throbbed sharply against stubborn binds that somehow refused to loosen despite her best efforts. She stared at Midget and he stared back at her. Somewhere unseen, Otter carried on like an absolute lunatic. _In deep shit now.., deeper and deeper we sink._

"See if you can free my hands." Midget jumped at the sound of her voice. He shot a sideways glance at the bandits and beckoned with his head for her to come closer. Lilith edged over. He noticed the chewed up skin on her wrists and exhaled sharply. But he said nothing and put his back to her to get to work. She felt tentative fingers mapping out the bindings.

Otter abruptly stopped screaming and the ensuing silence was deafening. Midget's fingers paused mid tug.

"Aren't you two getting cozy."

Lilith's heart sank. Otter climbed in and stood towering over them. Lilith sat up slowly. Something about the tilt of his head and posture sent a chill down her spine. She sensed deep malevolence behind the blank stare of his goggles.

Max came over and surveyed the scene. "What's going on Otter."

Otter ignored him and wrenched open a crate. He shifted stuff around inside, slammed the lid back on and went on to the next. They all watched him in silence.

After a few minutes Otter threw down a sack of tools he had pulled out and muttered. "Shit, we ain't got one."

"Got what?" Max asked. He had taken a seat on the side of the rider.

"A shovel. We gotta bury Sammy."

Max let out a measured sigh. "There's a shovel in the maint box back at the station."

"Then go get it. I'll stay here with Sammy.., and those two."

Max balked. "We all go."

"No!" Otter said sharply. "No way we gonna put Sammy in the back like some garbage. And I ain't sitting next to him in that seat for the drive either." Otter's tone seemed chillingly dead.

Max snorted in frustration and hopped off the vehicle. "You're crazy to take such a risk."

Otter went to Midget and hauled him to his feet. "Ain't no risk. These two are tied up nice and tight, I got my weapon, and we got just enough daylight left for you to get there and get back. I'm not crazy. My brother's gone. He's gonna get a decent burial right here where he died."

Max stared at Otter for a long moment and gave in. A few minutes later he was behind the wheel of the rider, Lilith and Midget were laying on the ground and Otter stood beside his brother's body, gun in hand. Max turned the vehicle around and roared off down the road out of sight.

After the sound of the vehicle faded away, a high pitched chittering noise became apparent. Lilith's heart sped up. She knew that sound; Scythid Crawlers were somewhere nearby. Midget sat up sharply and scanned the area.

Otter brandished his sub gun and taunted, "Crawlers coming for you and a little dinner eh?" Lilith realized he was wearing her pack.

Midget shrugged and retorted, "Sure and they'll make short work of your brother's body too. There'll be nothing left to bury by the time your partner gets back."

At the top of the hill to the west, a patch of land seemed to ripple and come alive. A mass of Scythid Crawlers advanced over the crest and seethed down the slope.

Otter shook his head and growled "You better hope that don't happen, cause I'll make sure you go slow and painful." He turned and jogged towards the approaching wave.

Lilith eyed Midget with increasing respect. He seemed fearless despite their predicament. And he was clever enough to know how to push the right buttons on Otter. They looked at each other and wordlessly scooted together to resume work on untying Lilith's hands.

Lilith wondered aloud to Midget, "Why is Otter so bent on burying his brother here? You would think he'd want to take him back to his camp." She watched Otter off in the distance. The horde of crawlers fractured and broke into writhing patches as he sprayed bullets into their midst.

"Because the Hedgers have no respect for their dead. They throw the bodies into the briny depths of a black lagoon located deep underground in the HeadStone Mine. The water is full of bodies and is said to be haunted by the ghosts of all within. We call it The Lake of Lost Souls; the salt preserves them... Otter would rather bury him here in this sandy wasteland than commit his brother to such an end."

Midget's small fingers found a little slack in the cord encircling her hands and worked to widen it. Otter's machine gun stuttered off a few more short bursts and they simultaneously raised their heads to check on his progress. They were dismayed to see he was heading back, picking off the last few Scythids with concise shots as he ran. Lilith groaned and rolled away from Midget.

Otter wasted no time and ran right up to them. "This is a long time coming," he snarled and kicked Midget in the back. Midget cried out and tried to roll away. Otter followed and delivered several more, circling around to land the last one in his stomach. Midget contracted and curled up.

Lilith watched helplessly, and then began twisting her hands in desperation, gasping over the wretched pain slicing through her wrists. Otter was hauling Midget to his feet, but he heard her and let him drop. He stalked over and smashed his foot right into her poor hands. They instantly went numb. Lilith kicked out at him with her bound feet and scored a glancing blow off of his shin.

"You bitch!" Otter leapt over her and furiously kicked at her head and shoulders. Lilith rolled and dodged the first few but soon curled up into a fetal position, powerless as more and more strikes found their mark. Her mind went inward to withstand the assault and she grimly held on. The blows ceased and she slowly brought her gaze up to meet his masked visage. _Still holding that gun, damn you._

As if on cue, Otter pushed her flat and put a knee on her back. Midget had recovered and was struggling to sit up. Blood dribbled into Lilith's eye and stung it to a blur. Otter placed the muzzle of his gun to the back of her head and she braced herself.

Then Otter tugged down her pants and she realized his intent.


	7. Chapter 7 Lives Spared

Despite this nasty turn of events, Lilith kept cool. She clamped her legs together to make it impossible for Otter to yank her pants all the way down with just one hand. If she could just get him to lay off on the gun against her head, she could blow right into phasewalk without risking a bullet to the brain. He grunted in frustration and the gun muzzle lifted off the back of her skull. She hoped she would have enough time to grab the gun, hands tied behind her back be damned, shoot him and finally be done with this. Lilith held her breath and poised to flip.

"Looks like you missed one Otter…" Midget's voice dripped with sarcasm.

"Shut up asshole, I'm busy." Otter leaned the gun on her neck. Lilith expelled her pent up breath in a rush. _What the hell was Midget up to this time?_

Midget laughed shrilly and returned, "Oh yeah! Just like Mr. Scythid over there. He's busy dining on Sammy! Hee hee hee!"

Otter shot to his feet. Lilith craned her neck and was flabbergasted to see Midget hopping up and down, bound feet and all, with a crazy kind of glee. He bopped a little victory dance as Otter charged by, trailing a string of curses. Otter kicked the Scythid away from Sammy and obliterated it in a barrage of bullets. Then he just stood for a minute, chest heaving, while looking down at his brother's body. When he slowly turned back towards them, Midget stopped dancing.

Otter marched over and cracked him upside the head with the gun. "We're not waiting till Max gets back. You're gonna start digging right now." Midget looked up at him from where he had fallen. Otter put the gun to his head. "Roll on your stomach." He produced a knife and cut loose Midget's hands and feet. "I don't care if you wear your fingers down to the bone.., start digging." Midget rubbed his wrists and climbed to his feet. As he walked away, Otter gave him a kick in the pants for good measure.

As Lilith laid there, pants partway down, watching Midget hack at the ground with a rock twice the size of his hands, she tried to think. Otter was distracted again, but what now? He just wouldn't put down the gun; the damn thing seemed glued to his hand. She noticed he kept shooting glances down the road. _Anticipating Max's return... Or could it be the other way around?_ Lilith seized on the thought. Otter_ you greedy son of a bitch.., I'm gonna give you a chance to get what you want so I get a shot at what I want._

"Hey Otter..." Her voice was just a dusty croak and she had to clear her throat and try again. "Hey Otter! No way he's gonna finish that grave before your friend gets back... Awww, you won't get to do your dirty deed, too bad..."

Otter swung his head around and glared. "Shut up bitch."

Lilith snorted in derision and looked away. But she watched him in the corner of her vision. Otter resumed his vigil, but her statement irked him. His gaze danced between Midget, the road and her. It took all of one minute for him to break. After a long evaluating look at Midget, who was hard at work and actually making good progress, Otter turned and advanced on her.

Lilith smirked to herself. _Playing right into my hands.., even though they're tied. _Otter crouched down and put his face close to hers. She felt hot metal kissing her ear. "When I'm done with you, you're gonna wish you were dead."

"Is this a standard cover line for your poor performance Otter? Tsk tsk."

He jerked up on her tied wrists and she yelped as bolts of pain shot all the way to her shoulder blades. "Right… Keep shooting off your mouth and I'll dislocate em. Very painful."

Lilith elected to stay quiet. She was trying to pinpoint the location of the gun which had drifted off her ear. Without warning, Otter's whole body mashed her face into the ground. A second later, he rolled off and she realized Midget was on him, pummeling his head and yelling like a banshee.

Otter furiously pumped a fist into the side of Midget's skull and yanked ineffectively at the gun trapped between them. Midget reared back and head-butted Otter squarely between the eyes. He fell back, knocked out cold.

"That's one hell of a headache later…" Midget muttered and ran his hand over his stubby mohawk. Lilith sent him an incredulous look.

Midget climbed to his feet, dragging the sub gun with him. He fished the knife out of Otter's pocket and stumbled over.

With her hands finally free, Lilith restored the integrity of her clothing. Midget offered her the sub and she wordlessly refused it. She did take the knife though. Midget followed her over to Otter. She yanked her pack out from under him and settled it over her shoulder. Then she stood over him, turning the knife over in her hand.

She moved to run the knife through him and Midget stopped her. "Even if you won't listen to anything else, heed this one thing; Don't kill him. I know he's scum and deserves to die. But for now, Otter must live."

Lilith wrenched her hand free, "But why? Why should I let him live?"

Midget stared at her mutely for a few seconds and swallowed hard. "Because Otter has friends in high places. He's _family_ to a high ranking leader. His death at our hands would be noticed.., and they would seek swift vengeance against us. My settlement would be slaughtered. We can't withstand a full out attack by the Hedgers.., yet."

Lilith tilted her head at him and sighed._ That damn old saying is true. Not only am I now responsible for you, but also for the lives of your people as well. _ She tucked the knife away and put a hand on his shoulder.

"Fine.., we'll let him live. Now how bout we get the hell out of here and put some distance between us and those two?"

"Never heard more sweeter words…" Midget replied and Lilith knew that beneath his mask he was smiling.


	8. Chapter 8 Midget's Mind

Midget felt the warm weight of Lilith's hand on his shoulder and smiled up at her. Along with relief, he felt.., could it be gratitude? His smile faded. He had no business feeling this way towards a mercenary, let alone a vault hunter.

He took a step away and let her hand slide off his shoulder. "Let's tie him up in case he gets ambitious when he wakes up."

They made short work of Otter and hoisted his prone form high atop a boulder for safekeeping against any Scythids that might come wandering through the area. Sammy's body they left to chance.

They struck out directly east and covered a score of kilometers at a relentless pace. Their path intersected with an abrupt line of sharp-faced hills, and they struggled over them. On the other side they flanked north, which Midget indicated was the direction of his settlement. Their pace slowed.

As they trudged along, Midget wrestled with his thoughts. Here he was, about to lead a vault hunter right to his settlement. What the hell was he doing? But this particular mercenary saved his life and had yet to ask for payment. Could he trust her? He glanced at Lilith. She was walking next to him with her head down, arms folded across her chest. _What's your real motive Merc?_

Lilith seemed to hear him and sent him an inquiring look. Midget frowned. Fatigue was evident; her face looked drawn with shadows pooled around wearied eyes. He wasn't surprised. It was a rare breed indeed that could keep pace with him. Hidden in his diminutive frame was a tremendous energy reserve. Since his transformation at Headstone Mine, he possessed endurance unmatched by no other beast nor being in the cursed confines of Pandora.

Midget measured the lengthy shadows and Lilith's growing exhaustion. "We should set camp soon, we have a long night ahead of us and it's best to be prepared." She nodded assent and they turned into the tangled rocky outcrops crouched among the mountain foothills nearby.

During their search for a suitable camp, they encountered a dense clutch of Bladeflower plants. Lilith harvested every last one of the huge seed heads, stalks and all. Midget watched without comment. Since the seeds weren't edible, he guessed she was after a profit. It irked him that the mercenary was compelled to collect commodities despite their circumstances. They continued on and found a shallow cave with a low slung entrance. After wrestling with a sizable rock to block off the entrance, they settled down inside.

Lilith pulled a phos-stick out of her pack and propped it up so its soft blue glow lit up the cave, then she set to work on the pile of stalks in front of her. Midget soon realized she was interleaving them together to form a crude matt. He leaned forward and ran his fingers over one. The bulky seed head proved downy to the touch. "All the comforts of home, ay?"

Lilith smiled at his quip and pushed the finished matt towards him. "You tell me. Try yours out."

Midget picked it up, feeling slightly embarrassed over his earlier miss assessment. He settled down on it and he knew his back wouldn't miss the hard stone. From his reclined position he watched Lilith start hers. "I never realized the seed heads could be soft," he remarked.

"They're immature, so the moisture hasn't precipitated out of the surrounding fibers yet," Lilith explained.

"How is it that you know more about the local flora of Pandora than I do? I've been on this hellhole of a planet far longer than you, Vault Hunter."

Lilith twisted a stalk sharply and pinned him with a level stare. "Data feeds, my friend, direct data feeds. They poured all this info into my brain before I even stepped foot on Pandora.., and how is it you know I'm a Vault Hunter? "

His eyes flicked to her pack. "The shotgun of course. I heard about you and the others. About what you did to Sledge, where you come from.., what you're looking for. So I know who you are.., I know _what_ you are. That is unless, there happens to be another siren in the area and you picked up that unusual trophy from the neighborhood pawn shop."

"The shotgun." Her hands paused in their work. "I should have known it would be the shotgun." She noticed him eyeing her pack. "And don't you get any ideas! What is it about you and shotguns?"

Midget felt a bubble of absurd laughter well up inside and knocked it back down. He tried to explain. "To me.., the shotgun is pure power. It's big, it's ballsy, and it's loud as hell. Even the kickback.., as I'm flying through the air.., I get this rush, this feeling. Like _I am_ the power."

Lilith nodded thoughtfully and he sensed that she understood. She resumed weaving and suddenly grimaced. Midget turned his attention on her mangled wrists. They were swollen angry red and some of the slices were oozing. "You should attend to your hands," he urged, "they look like they're infected."

"I know," she regarded them ruefully. "But I'm all out of healing kits. They'll have to wait."

A flash of guilt coursed through Midget. "Here, take this back then, you should give it a rest; they look painful." He offered her his matt.

"No," she said firmly, "that's yours. Besides, I'm almost done with this one."

He reluctantly settled back down and watched her finish. Soon she too was laying on her back staring up at the confines of the cave ceiling. "Merc," he ventured.

"Yes Midget?"

He smiled wryly to himself over their chosen monikers. "Thanks for saving me back that at the dock. If you hadn't come along when you did, I would have been Skag meat."

"You're welcome." Her voice sounded blurred and tired.

He lay quietly for a while, but sleep eluded him. He was hungry and his stomach growled audibly to prove the point. He sighed and rolled on his side.

Lilith suddenly sat up and fished around in her pack. "Here." She tossed a nutripack to him and took one for herself. They laid in silence for a while and ate. Then Lilith surprised him by saying, "Now you owe me twice Midget."

His gut tightened before he realized she was kidding. He snorted indignantly and said, "Not so fast Merc, don't forget I bailed you out of that unpleasant situation with Otter."

She chuckled, "Indeed you did. Thank you for that most timely intervention. So I guess you could say we're even on that count."

"Yes we are," Midget agreed, "as for food, once we reach my settlement, you'll be well compensated with supplies, believe me." He felt the early vestiges of sleep beginning to wrap around his thoughts and yawned.

He heard the mercenary yawn and whisper, "For some strange reason Midget, I do."

Midget considered her words in silence until he finally drifted off to sleep.


End file.
